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Ray Fittipaldo
10:44
Good morning from Foxboro, or is it Foxborough? I'm opening up the chat early so post your questions and Brian and I will start answering your queries soon.
Brian Batko
10:50
Hi Ray and hi everyone. Driving around town this morning it appears to be Foxborough based on all the signage I saw.
10:52
First time for me here at Gillette Stadium and I'm in awe a little bit. This venue is humongous and is much more impressive in-person. The house Brady built.
J D
10:55
Will this be the week that TJ gets a couple of sacks and causes some fumbles or will he continue to play good but not stellar?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:56
They certainly could use that production with Alex Highsmith out of the lineup with his ankle injury. But the problems run much deeper than Watt's lack of sack production. Other players need to win their 1-on-1s when Watt is double-teamed. That's not happening right now. Until that happens, Watt is going to get the same treatment. Sure, he has to find a way to overcome it and still be productive, but he also needs help from his teammates.
10:58
Inactives come out in a half hour. Couple of things to watch for: Derrick Harmon was a full practice participant on Friday. If he's active he'll be on a pitch count after not playing the first two weeks. Also, what will Tomlin do with Kaleb Johnson? Trey Sermon was elevated from the practice squad yesterday, a sign Johnson might not get a helmet.
J D
11:00
Is TJ's lack of big plays related to the DB's not covering long enough or the inside LB's not stopping the run, or something else?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:03
Not only are they not covering long enough but they're wide open too so it's been easy on Justin Fields and Sam Darnold. And, of course, not being able to stop the run is problematic.
Brian Batko
11:06
My wildly popular inactives guess is back: Andrus Peat, Alex Highsmith, Joey Porter, DeShon Elliott and I’ll go with … Esezi Otomewo again. So I think Derrick Harmon and Kaleb Johnson both play. And I’m assuming they’ll want DeMarvin Leal as a fourth outside linebacker.
Matt from Davidson NC
11:26
Which of the Steelers deficiencies scare you the most-not being able to run, throw deeper than 3 yards, stop the run, sack Maye?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:26
All of the above. But the defensive problems concern me most. I know they have a lot of new players, but it shouldn't take this long for everyone to get on the same page.
11:34
Today's inactives:                                                              No. 24 CB Joey Porter Jr.
No. 25 S DeShon Elliott
No. 56 LB Alex Highsmith
No. 71 G Andrus Peat
No. 93 DE Esezi Otomewo
Brian Batko
11:35
Derrick Harmon is active to make his NFL debut and Kaleb Johnson isn't so far in the doghouse that he doesn't get a helmet.
Dale
11:35
Every year we talk about the problem with the defense is communication, why is this always a problem for the Steelers but doesn't seem to be an issue for other top tier teams?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:38
I don't have a definitive answer to that question, but over the years we have heard how the Steelers defense is complicated for some guys to pick up. I think the coaches ask a lot of players. I remember late in the season last year I asked Tomlin why he doesn't make the defense more vanilla. He basically said the players have to be better with their communication because the defense is at its best when they can make all their switches and calls before the snap. I get it, but the lack of execution happens far too often in my opinion. As the head coach, that's ultimately on Tomlin.
Bucky
11:38
Is there any reason to think the No Country for Old Men defense will NOT get shredded today?   Will the crowd nosie bother Juan Thornhill? LOL
Ray Fittipaldo
11:40
Thornhill provided a truthful answer to a question I posed him. I specifically asked about the third-and-goal from the 19 play when Walker scored untouched. The communication issues stuck out like a sore thumb when you watched that play back. Thornhill knew what I was talking about and gave a thoughtful answer. It gave us some insight into why it happened. Don't be mad at Thornhill for telling the truth and trying to explain what happened.
Bucky
11:41
when Dick LeBeau was here....was his defense more or less complicated than Tomlins, anything that jumps out?   Or were those players more in tune with each other. so puzzling
Ray Fittipaldo
11:43
Those players were more in tune, mostly because they played together for a long time and had good chemistry. However, I will point out the one team that always had LeBeau's number was the Patriots. Of course, Spygate might have had something to do with that.
Weegie Lipps
11:44
if we dont pick on Bob Spillane’s lack of coverage ability, I will pull out my hair
Ray Fittipaldo
11:44
I'm sure Patriots fans are saying the same thing about attacking Payton Wilson in the running game. That's the Catch-22 in today's NFL.
George C. from Scott
12:04
Any word on who is fielding kickoffs today?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
Gainwell for sure. I think Warren but Sermon probably does some too.
Weegie Lipps
12:04
Ray, forgive me if I missed something earlier in the week, but I trust your opinion…prediction for today?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
I think the Steelers are still coming together from a chemistry standpoint. I picked the Patriots: 27-21.
JPinPDX
12:05
Will we make Drake Maye look like an All-Pro today? Or does Week 3 begin the march towards historic?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
To follow up on the previous question. Darius Slay was saying this week how the Eagles had a tough start and then turned things around last season. He mentioned how they, like the Steelers this year, had their bye after Week 4. I'm sure they're trying to clean up their issues every day, but sometimes an extended period of time like the bye week is when it all gets resolved.
George C. from Scott
12:07
CBS is doing a throwback episode of NFL Today - pretty awesome set, graphics, and Brent Musberger too!
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
How about Irv Cross and Jimmy The Greek? My childhood right there.
Tom M.
12:08
Since they activated Sermon, why not just make Johnson inactive and use that spot for one of the lineman?  I don’t see any role for him and maybe it will be a wake up call. Hopefully Sermon will have a role and we’ll see what he can do.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:08
Good question. We were just discussing that very subject up here in the press box. Maybe they want Johnson dressed in case there is an injury to Warren. I don't expect him to play much unless there is an injury.
Tom M.
12:09
If they lose to the Patriots, isn't that a bad outlook for when they play the good teams?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:10
It would be. More importantly for the Steelers, the schedule is much tougher in the second half. So even if they are playing better later in the season it might not matter if they lose some of those games. Have to take advantage of the early games that are winnable.
David
12:10
If Tomlin's title was Defensive Coordinator instead of Head Coach would he have been fired for his defense by now?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
This is an 8- or 10-game stretch dating to last season. We pretty much had two full seasons of Matt Canada before Art Rooney told Tomlin to fire him. Methinks we have a ways to go.
Brian Batko
12:14
The recurring trends are disturbing, no doubt, but I'm sure the Steelers would tell you it's a new year, new slate, new team and thus they'd only view it as a two-game sample size in which this defense has struggled.
Curtis
12:22
NFL Today without Phyllis George and Jayne Kennedy!
ForWhomKordellTolls
12:27
Patriots 30, Steelers 20.  Tomlin's defense too soft and predictable. CBs playing too far back, as always, as Tomlin lives in his fears preventing the big play but allowing easy receptions.
Brian Batko
12:28
Patriots press box gave every reporter a Polaroid photo of a franchise great. Ray got Stanley Morgan. I got Steve Grogan. Gerry Dulac got Ty Law.
ForWhomKordellTolls
12:28
Ray remember "This Week in the NFL" with Pat Sumerall and Tom Brookshier?
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